Mercedes Schneider teaches high school English in Louisiana. She has ten weeks of unpaid vacation. What did she do on her vacation? She wrote a book about school choice. She set herself a goal of 1,000 words a day, and she stuck to it. She has written three books in three years. The first one was a bestiary of corporate reformers called “A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who in the Implosion of American Public Education.” The second was “Common Core Dilemma: Who Owns Our Schools?” A book a year! My first book took seven years. I am impressed.

Diane, please … when you use a phrase like “ten weeks vacation” you are making Teachers sound like they are getting ten weeks of paid vacation, which would put them in the 1%. Please say “ten weeks of unpaid leave” or a “ten week lay off” which is closer to the truth. It is not a vacation that most people can understand. Teachers are basically seasonal workers.
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Amen. And many have to write books to make extra money. (a joke, not a snide comment)
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Steve, Diane was only using my description. I entitled my post, “What I Did Over My Summer Vacation,” because kids are so often asked to write such essays.
It is true that I choose to spread my 10-month pay across 12 months. Even so, I prefer the break (as opposed to year-round school for more money). I need the break mentally, and it allows me the hours to write a book.
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Steve, done!
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Btw more and more teachers are pressured these days into working on curricula/units over the summer and during those weeklong breaks.
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I wish we didn’t have to defend our 10 weeks in the summer…I’m so happy Mercedes used the time to write another book! Thank you and congrats, Mercedes!
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Thank you, Annat. 🙂
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Christie was floating the idea of extending the school day and the school year but without any mention of compensation for the extra hours and extra days of work. The teacher haters want teachers to work longer hours and more days but at the current pay. Where will the money come from to air condition the rooms in the summer? When I was teaching in NJ years ago, the teachers would bring in fans for the hot days in early September and during May and June which could have some very hot and humid days as well. We also would allow the kids to bring in bottles of water to avoid countless trips to the water fountain in the hall.
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Teachers’ critics had the option of making, the profession, their career choice. If they thought it was a good payoff, they would have done so. Professions ranked, based on desirability, do not include teaching among the top 10. Ideal jobs, like actuary, have two things in common, little contact with clients/customers and a controlled environment.
The criticism of teaching does not reflect a considered opinion about the merits of the job conditions, it reflects a seized opportunity to reduce or pocket taxes, with the added benefit of impoverishing communities.
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